Need some motivation to read a few new books over the next couple of months? The Maricopa County Library District launched its Winter Reading Program for adults this week. The program offers readers a chance to earn prizes and connect with others.
Samantha Mears is the communications administrator at Maricopa County Library District. She says the Winter Reading Program is geared toward the county's snowbird communities, and "really figuring out how we can help build a sense of community and belonging when they're here. So that is part of why we started the program. And of course, we're a library. So we have other goals. Of course, around literacy."
Participants can sign up online or in person. Every minute spent reading — whether it’s a book, e-book or audiobook — counts as one point.
"We encourage folks to reach a goal of 500 points by the end of the program, which is Feb. 15," she says.
Bonus points can also be earned through events held at county libraries. Mears says last year, participants logged 2.4 million minutes of reading. This year, they’re hoping to hit 2.5 million.
Mears also says the program is also available in Spanish.
"Many folks actually use this program as a way to boost their English language learning. So while they might participate in Spanish, using the Spanish pages of this website and dashboard, they are reading it, using it to find books and find other language and literacy resources."
Last year, about 3,000 readers across 14 libraries participated in the program.
Participants can visit winter.mcldaz.org (English) or invierno.mcldaz.org (Spanish) to sign up and begin tracking their reading. The goal is to reach 500 points by Feb. 15, 2026.
Participating libraries
- Aguila Library
- Ed Robson Library (Sun Lakes)
- El Mirage Library
- Fairway Library (Sun City)
- Fountain Hills Library
- Georgia T. Lord Library (Goodyear)
- Guadalupe Library (Town of Guadalupe)
- Litchfield Park Library
- North Valley Regional Library (Anthem)
- Perry Library (Gilbert)
- Queen Creek Library
- Southeast Regional Library (Gilbert)
- Sun City Library
- White Tank Library (Waddell)
Full details about the program can be found at winter.mcldaz.org/Info/frequently-asked-question.
-
In 2020, the Arizona monsoon season turned deadly when a powerful storm hit Apache Lake. The deluge took two lives that day: Deanna Peterson and Rick Le Grand. Ryan Schuster was there when it happened and is out now with a new book about the tragedy. -
An actor who grew up in Phoenix is forced to face both the truths and the untruths about his family in a new novel, called "False Prophet." -
YouTuber Peter Santenello has traveled to 85 countries and lived in five of them. But, for his first book, he turned his lens on his own country. -
Dr. Octavio Rettig gave an unprecedented TEDx Talk in 2012, telling his own story of recovery from addiction to crack cocaine with an unusual treatment: Smoking the defense toxins of the Sonoran desert toad. -
There was a 1958 film called “A Night to Remember” before the 1997 James Cameron blockbuster, a Tony Award winning musical and countless books. And, now you can immerse yourself in the disaster in a whole new way. “Titanic: Immersive Voyage” opened in Old Town Scottsdale last month.
